Bacup - Mills in the hills

[jukebox]

Or try experimenting with standing a bit further away, and crop the picture after.

 

(Jeff might be along in a minute, and can tell us about just how much less light is cast by the flash, if you double the distance you are from the subject )

[Mythocentric]

A quick tip is to stick a couple of layers of tissue (hankies) over the flash especially if you are working close-up. It gives you a softer, more diffused light without much loss in output. It helps a lot, especially if your idle like me and can't be bothered to root through my bag for the diffusers!

 

Doubling the distance from your subject halves the light reaching it!

Edited October 27, 2012 by Mythocentric

[mudmagnet]

Really great work on the buildings!I don't like cutting out the slates myself (does anyone?) and admire your patience and diligence in getting the roof looking correct!

I like the drain on the side of the building and help to highlight the sloping roofs and difference in stone as well.

 

It's always gratifying to have an article published in a magazine.

[Oldddudders]

A quick tip is to stick a couple of layers of tissue (hankies) over the flash especially if you are working close-up. It gives you a softer, more diffused light without much loss in output. It helps a lot, especially if your idle like me and can't be bothered to root through my bag for the diffusers!

 

Doubling the distance from your subject halves the light reaching it!

ISTR about 40 years ago the Amateur Photographer working diarist of the era, Victor Blackman of the Daily Express, saying he'd used your trick when photographing someone rather famous - and wondered if Her Maj had noticed his hanky was a bit grubby!

 

I have a feeling the Inverse Square Law comes into play with flash distance, so doubling the distance actually quarters the light reaching the subject.

[Mythocentric]

ISTR about 40 years ago the Amateur Photographer working diarist of the era, Victor Blackman of the Daily Express, saying he'd used your trick when photographing someone rather famous - and wondered if Her Maj had noticed his hanky was a bit grubby!

 

I have a feeling the Inverse Square Law comes into play with flash distance, so doubling the distance actually quarters the light reaching the subject.

 

You are quite right Ian. I've just checked my workbook and the Inverse Square Law does apply. I stand corrected!

 

Regards

 

Bill

[Jason T]

I've been a bit quiet over the past few days, although have been getting on with quite a few tasks (most of them boring) so haven't seen the need to give updates each day.

 

In a bit of a rush so here goes. First, thanks for the tips with the crappy camera. I tried a few of them but I don't think it has made much of a difference.

 

Anyway:

 

Mill now has all slates on and ridge tiles; lead flashing to be added next and then I can start painting the slates (which I am dreading). You probably can't see any difference but there is, honest. No more cutting slates for a bit

 

On the above photo and this one, you can hopefully see that the retaining walls along the back have finally been painted and weathered and are close to being fixed into position (they are leaned up at the moment, balanced together on a wing and a prayer). What is noticeable is that the more items that I weather, the darker the whole layout becomes. For the inside walls of the underpass, I have started to paint and weather a sheet of embossed plastikard, which will then be attached to mounting board, cut to shape and added. Obviously I need to paint it first

 

Something I had not given any thought to was future photo opportunities (if I ever get a camera that can take a decent shot, or rig up some proper lighting), so I have started to weather the back of the front retaining walls (if that makes sense) so I can get shots like this. Still needs it's layer of black adding:

 

The hurricane on the Eastern Seaboard of the USA seems to have hit the back yards in Bacup and knocked down the outhouses and garden walls.

These are very much a work in progress. Another four are currently stuck to a sheet of embossed plastikard awaiting cutting out, and I still need to measure up and cut out the remaining ones for the backs of these houses and then start on the ones that back on to the railway, which will actually be out of sight but will be added anyway.

 

I did something here the other day but I can't remember what. Maybe it was paint the grassy bit green in preparation for flocks and static grass to be added? On that note, I bought a fly swatter static grass applicator at the Cheltenham show the other day for 20 quid. With the minimal amount of grass that the layout will have, there was no way I was going to ###### 150 quid on a Noch.

 

And that's the lot. I'm away tomorrow (working in London) so no more progress or updates until Thursday night. There will probably be sod all worth updating you on anyway

[Jason T]

In amongst adding the lead flashing, weathering stone work, etc., I thought I would get one with the main structural piece that was missing from the new mill, the water tank. Maybe a bit tall, not sure (it's a scale 8' tall) but here it is anyway.

Plastikard box with rivets added between panels, curved formers cut and then a planked roof (with access hatch) added to the top.

 

 

[Worsdell forever]

Looks about right, it will need the initials of the company on those tank panels.

[Jason T]

How about 'T M D' - may increase the popularity of the thread

Edited November 2, 2012 by Sandside

[Worsdell forever]

Sorry to say I don't look at too many of those...

[Physicsman]

Just caught up with progress. The factory looks superb and "Hurricane Sandside" does seem to have wreaked chaos on those back yards!

 

I don't know how you can resist putting in a bit of (temporary) wiring and running a few locos. At this level of completion my willpower would have caved in!

 

Thanks for the stuff you've sent me - hopefully it'll be here in the next day or so.

 

Jeff

[Jason T]

As I am sure you all knew, as I wasn't completely happy with the height of the water tank, I made another one. Lessons learned are: 1. measure things up properly before you start, and 2. don't glue the awkward-to-make curved 'lid' down until you are sure everything is correct.

 

In my mind, it looks a lot more in proportion. I spent yesterday evening thinking about the size of the original tank, how much water it would hold and the forces and weight that would put on the tank and the building. Now I'm no engineer but I wouldn't want to be working on the floors under the original tank.

 

Anyway, a side by side comparison

 

And on the building. Edit - it's not separating at the back corner; there is a 'stone' plinth on which the tank will sit (all scribed up) and nothing is glued down yet

 

Jeff, everything on the main layout is wired up and works; I've had trains running, shunted, etc., which I called testing, but just haven't done so in a while.

Edited November 2, 2012 by Sandside

[MichaelW]

I've spent the past couple of days reading through your thread, and all I can say is wow! Your buildings really do look good. I hope that one day I'll be able to produce something approaching that quality.

 

I have to admit I did think the tank looked a bit large - the new one looks a better fit, but both of them are really well executed!

[Jason T]

Thanks Michael. There's nothing to the buildings really (with the possible exception of the station canopy); once you've worked out the dimensions it's all pretty straight-forward but a decent set square, a supply of spare blades, a decent steel ruler and an Olfa Cutter do help. The painting / weathering of the stone comes from a tip Andy C gave me, that I slightly adapted, and I'm pretty chuffed with how it has turned out.

 

I'm definitely happier with the water tank now, it doesn't look quite as imposing as the earlier one. It was a pain in the proverbial to build a second one though and I now have one slightly large water tank going spare if anyone wants it

[artizen]

Are you over the pain of the slates then? The building looks really good.

[Jason T]

Yes Ian, all the slates, ridge tiles and lead flashing is now done and glued on. I still have a few more buildings to knock together but even with all the remaining ones combined, they won't need as many slates as the mill did.

 

As someone suggested a few pages back, I did look at York Modelmaking's site with a view to buying ready-cut slates but they were about 7 quid for an A4 sheet and I needed about 6 sheets. 150 gram card, on the other hand, is a few pence per sheet.

[MichaelW]

In the firm belief that the only stupid questions are those that aren't asked... What's an Olfa Cutter?

[Jason T]

I didn't know myself until last year. It's one of these, very useful for scoring and cutting embossed plastikard so that you can make 90 degree bends.

 

[Jason T]

I've got quite a bit done in the last few days, despite spending a big chunk of yesterday at the High Wycombe show. It may not look or sound like much but I have:

- painted the slates on the mill, which turned out to be a huge task

- started to paint the water tank (the wooden roof/lid is still in primer, and the green and red need a second coat)

- finished weathering the retaining walls (the backs, e.g. out of sight)

- finally made a start on the fiddle yard (would have got further but the only flexi-track I have appears to be Code 100)

- sprayed the pavements and girder bridge sides in primer

- cleaned the track and checked that all the turnouts still work (a couple needed some paint removing from the sleepers as they were a bit sticky)

- fitted a Kadee 17 and 18 to both of my DMU's, to replace those horrible Roco ones they come with and give them closer coupling (tried with two 17's and it was too close. A 17 and 18 seems to be about right)

- found out my Digitrax Super Mega Wonder Jesus 5000 is on the blink so off to Ted's house one night this week to get it looked at (still have my old Dynamis if I want to play trains so not the end of the World)

- tidied up the attic and wanged out a load of old magazines

- and just for Jeff, I played trains for a bit.

 

I took some photos. Some really awful photos. Here they are:

 

A Jinty shunts three of the cleanest 21 ton hoppers ever. Fresh from Heywood Wagon Works?

 

A 108 departs and passes by the mill, as the Jinty is still busy

 

Later on, a Cravens is at the stops at Platform 1

[Jason T]

And why is it that after you have uploaded the photos, you notice the silly mistakes (leaning chimney stack on the station building - still to be glued down !!!, and a wonky bar on one of the mill's windows, which I have just fixed).

Edited November 4, 2012 by Sandside

[Physicsman]

Sneaky! I wasn't expecting to see trains on the layout! I guess you beat me to it - by a considerable margin!

 

Btw, thanks again for the stuff you sent. I've been enjoying soldering pcb sleepers into the gaps between points etc - done about 40 so far. May well have a go at a turnout next year. Did you buy a kit with all the bits in?

 

Jeff

Edited November 4, 2012 by Physicsman

[Worsdell forever]

Mill really does look superb now, I'm currently slating Greyscroft Mine's workshop roof, nowhere near a quarter of your mill...

[Jason T]

Sneaky! I wasn't expecting to see trains on the layout! I guess you beat me to it - by a considerable margin!

 

Btw, thanks again for the stuff you sent. I've been enjoying soldering pcb sleepers into the gaps between points etc - done about 40 so far. May well have a go at a turnout next year. Did you buy a kit with all the bits in?

 

Jeff

 

I was running trains quite a few months ago; in fact, there is a really bad video of a class 25 traversing the turnouts at the station throat somewhere back on the earlier pages. I made a conscious decision to put all locos and rolling stock away so that I could concentrate on progressing with the ballasting, scenics, etc., but now I am pressing on with getting the fiddle yard done (track down, needs turnout motors and wiring doing) and then it's going to be really hard to resist; easy when there is nowhere for the trains to go but not so when there is a FY.

 

In other news........ I dug out the manual for the Digitrax and finally found the page I needed (there are a lot of them) and following the advice that Ted (owner of Sunningwell DCC, who I bought it from, and just happens to be 3 miles down the road) gave me plus the book, it now seems to be working again. Messing around using the Dynamis seemed medieval in comparison

 

As for the turnouts, I actually started by building one of the C&L kits for the fully chaired turnouts and plastic sleepers and whilst it came out ok, it seemed a bit flimsy and was pretty expensive. For yourself, when giving it a go, I would recommend un-soldering the one I sent you and re-using the crossing vee, but buying a pack of 4 x 1.06 PCB and then using the bullhead from an unused length of SMP Flexi. You have the gauges now, so when you have the time and inclination, you're ready to give it a go

[Physicsman]

I will definitely have a go with the turnouts when the present busy spell recedes. I'm enjoying the soldering - maybe I've just become addicted to the fumes!!? I assume that ANY radius or geometry of turnout is possible, with care. I'm not sure I could bring myself to unsolder the one you sent me. I think I'll use it as a template for starters.

 

Talking of fiddle yards, I'll soon be moving into that area. As you say, it means there will be a continuous mainline loop, at which point the DCC bus will probably spark into life - and we know what that leads to!

 

Jeff

[Colin parks]

Hi Sandside,

 

I do look at your layout project's progress with great admiration. Not only for the care you are taking with the buildings, but the prodigious output of what look like quite time-consuming constructions.

 

Enjoying the pictures with the stock too.

 

Colin